Systems and methods for regulating semiconductor devices

Abstract

A system for regulating semiconductor devices may include a current regulator configured to regulate one or more currents provided to an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The current regulator may regulate the currents by generating a current profile based at least in part on a collector voltage value associated with the IGBT, a rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT, or any combination thereof. The current profile may include one or more current values to be provided to a gate of the IGBT such that the current values are configured to limit the rate of collector voltage change to a first value. The current regulator may then send the one or more current values to a current source configured to supply the gate of the IGBT with one or more currents that correspond to the one or more current values.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a current regulator having a processor, wherein the current regulator is configured to regulate one or more currents provided to an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) by: 
 populating one or more entries in a lookup table with one or more predetermined current values, wherein the one or more predetermined current values are based on a predetermined resistor value that corresponds to a gate of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), wherein the predetermined resistor value is based on a type of the IGBT; 
 receiving, at the processor, a rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT; 
 generating, at the processor, a current profile based at least in part on the rate of collector voltage change value, wherein the current profile comprises one or more current values to be provided to the gate of the IGBT, wherein the current values are configured to limit the rate of collector voltage change to a first value; 
 making one or more modifications to the one or more entries based at least in part on the rate of collector voltage change value wherein the modifications are configured to adjust the rate of collector voltage change towards the first value, and wherein the rate of collector voltage change is adjusted by a fixed percentage change each time the IGBT switches; and 
 sending, from the current regulator, the one or more current values to a current source configured to supply the gate of the IGBT with one or more currents that correspond to the one or more current values. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to store the one or more current values in the lookup table indexed according to a collector voltage value, the rate of collector voltage change value, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to make the modifications each time the IGBT switches. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to make the modifications by minimizing power losses in the IGBT when the IGBT switches. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , comprising a storage device having the current profile, wherein the current profile comprises:
 a first current value that corresponds to a first current provided to the gate of the IGBT, wherein the first current is configured to charge a gate capacitance of the IGBT; 
 a second current value that corresponds to a second current provided to the gate of the IGBT, wherein the second current value is lower than the first current value; and 
 a third current value that corresponds to a third current provided to the gate of the IGBT, wherein the third current is configured to drive the IGBT. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first current is provided to the gate of the IGBT for a first duration of time, wherein the second current is provided to the gate for a second duration time after the first duration of time, and wherein the third current is provided to the gate of the IGBT for a third duration of time after the second duration of time. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the current regulator comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulator configured to compensate for ringing in the gate of the IGBT by applying a gain in a proportional path of the PID regulator. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the current regulator comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulator configured to minimize one or more current oscillations in the gate of the IGBT by applying a gain in a proportional path of the PID regulator. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the current regulator comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulator configured to compensate for a gate capacitance of the IGBT by applying a gain in an integral path of the PID regulator. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the current regulator comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulator configured to compensate for ringing in the gate of the IGBT by applying a gain in a derivative path of the PID regulator. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to clamp the collector voltage of the IGBT when the rate of collector voltage change value exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon, the code comprising instructions configured to:
 populate one or more entries in a lookup table with one or more predetermined current values based on a predetermined resistor value that corresponds to a gate of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), wherein the predetermined resistor value is based on a type of the IGBT; 
 receive information comprising a rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT; 
 modify the one or more entries based at least in part on the rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT, wherein the modified entries are configured to adjust the rate of collector voltage change towards a first value, and wherein the instructions to modify the entries comprises adjusting the one or more entries of the lookup table by a fixed percentage change each time the IGBT switches; and 
 send one or more current values that correspond to the one or more modified entries to a current source configured to supply the gate of the IGBT with one or more currents that correspond to the one or more current values provided in the one or more modified entries. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the code comprising instructions configured to populate the one or more current values in the lookup table comprises indexing the one or more current values according to a collector voltage value associated with the IGBT, the rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT, a collector current associated with the IGBT, an ambient temperature associated with the IGBT, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the code comprising instructions configured to modify the one or more entries comprises generating a current profile based on the information and the predetermined current values, wherein the current profile comprises a plurality of current values to be provided to a gate of the IGBT during a plurality of time periods, wherein the plurality of current values is configured to limit the rate of collector voltage change value to the first value. 
     
     
       15. A method for regulating current provided to an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), comprising:
 generating, via a processor, one or more entries in a lookup table, wherein each entry comprises one or more predetermined current values, based on a predetermined resistor value that corresponds to a gate of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), wherein the predetermined resistor value is based on a type of the IGBT; 
 receiving, via the processor, information comprising a rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT; 
 generating, via the processor, a current profile based at least in part on the information, wherein the current profile comprises one or more current values to be provided to a gate of the IGBT, wherein the current values are configured to limit the rate of collector voltage change to a first value, wherein generating the current profile comprises adjusting the one or more predetermined current values based at least in part on the rate of collector voltage change value, wherein the adjustments are configured to modify the rate of collector voltage change towards the first value by a fixed percentage change each time the IGBT switches; and 
 sending, via the processor, the one or more current values to a current source configured to supply the gate of the IGBT with one or more currents that correspond to the one or more current values. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating the one or more entries via the processor comprises determining the one or more predetermined current values for each entry based at least in part on a gate resistor value associated with the IGBT and one or more indexes in the lookup table. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more indexes comprise a collector voltage value associated with the IGBT, the rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT, a collector current associated with the IGBT, an ambient temperature associated with the IGBT, or any combination thereof.